We Talked to Young People About Nelly (AKA "The Dude With the Band-Aid)

In 2004, Nelly was without question one of the most famous and successful rappers on the planet. He had just watched his double-album Sweat/Suit go four times platinum, giving him three multi-platinum albums in a row, he was dominating radio, everyone from hardcore rap fans to suburban moms to llama farmers in Peru knew who Nelly was. And then....

...for whatever reason it just stopped. In 2015 it's fair to say Nelly's a relative non-factor in rap. After his 2004 peak his album sales have plummeted. His last project, 2013's M.O., debuted number 14 on the Billboard 200 chart with first-week sales of 15,000 copies, a staggering drop for an artist who once broke all-time sales records, and if he's talked about these days, it's for this reality show appearances, not his music.

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All of that means that if you're 35-years-old you absolutely know who Nelly is, but if you're 20-years-old there's a solid chance you might not know him at all. Or who knows, maybe Nelly's become retro-cool and teenagers love him? But instead of guessing what young people think about Nelly we did something radical - actually went out on the streets and talked to them. Responses varied, some young people called him an icon, others barely remembered him, but one thing united all their responses; everyone called him "the dude with the Band-Aid."

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To read what young people think about St. Louis' finest, hit that big 'ol link below: